Some fluorinated compounds can impart water and oil resistance to substrates such as, for example, textiles, paper, non-woven materials, leather, and masonry. Water and oil resistance has been achieved by applying a composition comprising a fluorinated compound to, for example, the surface of a substrate. Fluorinated compounds that have been shown to impart water and oil resistance to substrates include some polymeric fluorinated compounds, i.e., fluorinated polymers. Fluorinated polymers include polymers having fluorinated groups pendant to a polymer chain, for example, fluorinated (meth)acrylate polymers and fluorinated urethane polymers.
In many cases, the fluorinated compounds have been applied to the surface of a substrate in a composition comprising a substantial amount of an organic solvent. In some cases, the organic solvent has comprised chlorine- and/or fluorine-containing compounds such as tetrachloroethylene or trichlorotrifluoroethane. Methods to apply a solution of a fluorinated compound have included spraying the solution from a pressurized container such as an aerosol can.